1934 Cadillac Model 452D V16 Convertible Sedan w/Divider (Modified V Windshield)

The Cadillac 452D was designed by the legendary Harley Earl and first debuted at the 1933 Chicago World Fair. It was powered by a V-16 engine placed in the front and powering the rear wheels. Large 15-inch mechanical drum brakes were placed on all four corners and the transmission was selective synchromesh transmission with three gears.

The V-16 Cadillac was the company's top-of-the-line car until production ceased in 1940. In total, there were just 4,076 examples built during the eleven years the model was offered. Most of the Sixteens were built in the single year of 1930 before the Great Depression really took hold. For 1933, the boxy looks of the Twenties were giving way to the streamlined look of the Thirties featuring flowing, fully skirted fenders and graceful vee'd grilles with painted shells blending into the bodywork. The V16s featured a longer 149-inch wheelbase, a unique grille, a larger 'Goddess' hood ornament, and massive 'four-bar' bumpers. These cars were serially numbered with the owner's name displayed on a plate inside the car.

Twenty examples of this Convertible Sedan body style were produced from 1934 to 1937. The twin bi-plane style bumpers were only offered in 1934. This car rides on a 154-inch wheelbase, is 240 inches long (the longest of any American car), and weighed 6,800 pounds. Power is from the 452 cubic-inch engine produced 165 horsepower. The base price for this car in 1934 was $8,150.

This particular car was built for DuPont heiress, Edith duPont-Reigel, when she was just 21 years old. Her inheritance had placed her on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. The current owner acquired the car in 2007 from a family who owned it for 44 years. A restoration to its original color was completed in 2008.